The best way to start or stop xdm (and some other services as well) is with the help of the scripts found in /etc/init.d
Execute (as root of course :-) /etc/init.d/xdm stop to stop a runing xdm (/etc/init.d/xdm start to start the service again). There are other options as well (restart for example) ... take a look at the scripts... If you want to more permanetly disable xdm (and not completely remove the package in order to be able to run xdm ocasionaly) take a look at the /etc/inittab (man inittab for more information) On default debian boots into runlevel 2 which means that the script /etc/init.d/rc with the parameter 2 is called. The result in short is, that all scripts in /etc/rc2.d/ are executed. /etc/rc?.d contains only softlinks to the /etc/init.d. You should find there a link called S99xdm. Remove it, and your debian system should by default boot without starting the xdm. If you later prefer too use the xdm, you only have to set this link again (with ln -s ../init.d/xmd /etc/rc2.d/S99xdm). Martin --- For public PGP key: finger [EMAIL PROTECTED]
